If this showdown between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals comes down to the wire, we will look back to this miss by Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin in the first quarter.
On the Steelers second drive of the game, quarterback Kenny Pickett threw a dart between two defenders to wide receiver Diontae Johnson for what appeared to be a touchdown. Johnson dropped the ball as he hit the ground outside the back of the end zone and it was ruled incomplete.
Tomlin chose not to challenge the play and it was a mistake. On the next play, running back Jaylen Warren fumbled and Cincinnati took over. But had Tomlin challenged, the play would have likely been overturned and the Steelers would have gotten the score.
Ugly TD drop by #Steelers Diontae Johnsonpic.twitter.com/iKeMORHFrshttps://t.co/E6tboyrUoV
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 26, 2023
During the broadcast, former NFL official Gene Steratore supported the idea it was a score. Johnson got a third foot down before losing the ball, which makes the fumble irrelevant because once that third foot is down, the play is dead.
